Kathmandu

Being safe was the first concern of people in Nepal when the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. Many also applauded government decision to impose a nationwide lockdown. As the majority of us have been home for more than two months with no certainty as to when the lockdown will be lifted, more and more people are getting bored, frustrated and depressed. And people who have hobbies (or have taken up one recently) are saying that this has helped them cope with boredom and depression.

Yashu Sthapit, a resident of Bhurungkhel, shares, “My hobby has become a strong pillar for me during this lockdown. As I have plenty of time now, I spend it singing different songs and making cover videos as well. Experiencing lockdown is a first for me, and passing time had become difficult thing. So, singing songs has helped me pass my time with ease.”

“Other than singing, I have also been working to improve my calligraphy skills,” says the 21-year-old student who thinks we can enhance different skills we have during the period of lockdown. “I also learnt how to play a guitar and edit videos so that I could make my own videos of cover songs. I would not have learnt video editing skill if there had been no lockdown. So, in that sense, this lockdown has also become beneficial for me to an extent,” he adds.

Though engaging in one’s favourite activities is one of the best ways to cope with boredom, doing the same work continuously can bore us, says Sthapit, adding, “So, as a student of IT, I have also improved my skills in the IT field. Apart from that, watching movies and TV series are other good ways to cope with boredom for me.”

Rashmi Ghatani, 24, is also utilising her free time by enjoying different hobbies for which earlier she had little time to spare. A radiographer technologist by profession, though Ghatani is busy with her work even now, she has been getting more day-offs at present — working one week, getting off the next.

As such this Jawalakhel resident is indulging her off days making decorative products, sketching and cooking. She believes hobbies that can be done inside one’s home is beneficial during this lockdown.

“It helps us to be creative. It is also better to keep our mind active instead of getting bored or depressed,” she says and adds, “Although I am not perfect, spending time doing my hobbies makes me happy.” Unlike Sthapit, Ghatani does not get bored doing her hobbies. “I have made scrapbooks and as I put my feelings, memories and everything there, I never feel bored while being involved in such activities,” she says.

Twenty-year-old Pancha Maya Tamang from Kapan believes her hobbies have helped her spend time easily during the lockdown. “Dancing is one of my hobbies, and I have been dancing these days to keep active. I also make TikTok videos and do workouts,” says Tamang, an athlete by profession. She opines it would have been difficult to spend time in lockdown if she did not have any hobby to engage in. She opines the lockdown is the most suitable time to try new things and utilise the free time at hand in a meaningful way.

“I did not know how to cook food properly, and I am learning that now,” she says. Though engaging in her hobbies continuously frustrates her too, she deals with it by watching movies, listening to music”. Tamang adds it is better to keep yourself engaged in different activities rather than do nothing and become sad and depressed.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 31, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.